LGBTQ+ youth make up a significant portion of the United States student population (Conron, 2020). A sense of belonging for middle school students is an essential indicator for academic achievement and positive motivational and health outcomes (Kosciw et al., 2020; Steiner et al., 2019), yet LGBTQ+ students experience less belonging than their…

The objective of the qualitative study was to investigate the perceived competency of school counselors in working with at-risk students who engage in self-injury, and their use of professional standards to effectively navigate their intervention. Self-injury (SI) is a behavioral concern defined as the intentional injuring of body tissue without…

This study examined the perceptions of elementary, middle, and high school counselors and principals regarding school counselor job duties and their impact on the school counselor-principal relationship. Previous research has highlighted disparities in viewpoints between school counselors and principals, leading to variations in job duties and…

Background: While adolescent mental health needs have continued to rise, schools have become a central location for adolescents seeking support for mental health needs, and approximately 96% of public schools in the United States report providing some form of mental health care to students. This study aims to explore school social workers' current…

Increasing suicide rates among our nation's youth show an alarming trend among girls. Since 2007, the suicide rate for girls (ages 10-14) rose 12.7% per year, compared to 7.1% for boys in the same age group. For adolescents (ages 15-19), the annual suicide rate increased by 7.9% for girls and 3.5% for boys (Ruch et al., 2019). School counselors…

This quantitative study utilized a causal-comparative design to explore if there was a predictive relationship between school counselors' supervision satisfaction and program implementation. The sample (N=77) included school counselors from the United States who are licensed/certified, currently employed full-time in a public-school setting, have…

This qualitative study delved into how educators, administrators, and counselors at a North Texas middle school perceived the impact of a school anti-bullying initiative on student behavior and school climate, guided by Bronfenbrenner's socioecological theory. Two main questions were explored: How do these educators, administrators, and counselors…

It should be noted that about a year after this researcher began work on this dissertation, he became seriously ill, greatly interfering with his ability to function. In 2019 he was diagnosed with Idiopathic Pulmonary Fibrosis, a terminal lung disease. As his physical condition continued to worsen, work on the dissertation came to practically a…

Objective: Previous studies suggest hope may protect against stress and burnout. Hope has also been associated with higher levels of job satisfaction for individuals across professions. However, no research has yet explored the relationships among school counselors' hope, stress, and job satisfaction. Method: We conducted a hierarchical regression…

Adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) are potentially traumatic events occurring in the household or community that hold painful or distressing outcomes for children immediately and in their future (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 2019). School counselors work with children and young adolescents suffering from negative mental health…

The number of students struggling with chronic absenteeism, while on the rise prior to COVID-19, appears to have increased dramatically since the onset of the pandemic. This dissertation explores the challenges faced in a suburban middle school in Western New York throughout and following the COVID-19 shutdown. Data from the district's student…

With increased pressure for schools to demonstrate college and career readiness, it is crucial to explore the roles and activities of school counselors, the preservice training they receive, and how those college and career readiness concepts are integrated into their roles. The research questions were (1) What are the current roles and activities…

Children in today's society require substantial support systems to help them through turbulent times and equip them with strategies and coping skills for a productive lifestyle. This support system requires the collaboration of parents and schools. In the absence of this provision, many students encounter psychological distress that impedes their…

Many school systems have developed climate rating surveys to gather school perception data; however, research suggests that there are few states where this data is both disaggregated by race and used by school counselors. This study explores school counselors' use of school racial climate data as a benchmark for developing and delivering…

This robust mixed-methods study examines ninth-grade advanced course placement in Arkansas, revealing disparities rooted in race and socioeconomic status. Utilizing a logit analysis for a five-year pooled sample (n = 163,616), we find persistent enrollment gaps for Black ninth-grade students after controlling for prior academic achievement,…